For three decades, Susan Collins has styled herself as a moderate conservative who delivers for Maine, even when it means defying Donald Trump. But as the incumbent Republican seeks a sixth term, national Democrats see her as newly vulnerable – zoning in on the state as a clear path to reclaiming the Senate.
Collins, 73, will now face off against the presumptive Democratic nominee, Graham Platner, a 41-year-old marine veteran and oysterman with no national political experience and a controversial past. Despite dredged-up racist, sexist and homophobic online posts – and a now-covered-up tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol – Platner continues to amass a rare kinetic energy that has seen hundreds of Mainers flock to town halls across the state to hear his gravelly voiced excoriation of Washington. His rise ultimately forced the state’s two-term governor, Janet Mills, to suspend her primary bid, citing dwindling financial resources.
Platner’s youth and outsider profile have created a sense that Maine – a state with the oldest and whitest population in the country – may be ready for a change in political leadership. There’s a prevailing sense of “we like her, and she’s been good for Maine, but it’s time for somebody new or younger”, one former state Republican official, granted anonymity to speak candidly about the race, said of Collins. The senator’s campaign spokesperson did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment about her performance to date.
